Articles
The Rejection of Jesus - Mark 11 through 16
The Rejection of Jesus - Mark 11 through 16
Having just finished the Christmas season with all the attention placed upon the birth of Jesus, our reading takes us into the story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Mark has spent 10 chapters on the life of Jesus (mostly in Galilee) and now spends 6 chapters on the death of Jesus. It has been noted that approximately 38 percent of the Gospel is devoted to the week of the passion (chaps. 11–16) and 20 percent to the day of Jesus’ death (chaps. 14–15). Everything in chapters 11 through16 takes place in or very near Jerusalem while most of the events of the first chapters were in Galilee.
There is an obvious shift also in the miracles of Jesus. All but one (not counting the resurrection) of the miracles is recorded in the first 10 chapters. The one miracle in this last section is the cursing of the fig tree in chapter 11, which was observed only by the disciples. Jesus has demonstrated that He is the Son of God. The time of demonstration was done and the fulfilling of his planned death and resurrection were at hand.
Another interesting shift is the use of the word 'crowds' by Mark. This is actually one of the most often used words in Mark, occurring 68 times in 32 different verses. All but 5 uses are in chapters 1 through 10. 3 are of those of the crowd that gather before Pilate, one of the 'crowd' that came with Judas to arrest Jesus, and the last one of the crowd that the Jewish rulers feared because of the crowd's "astonishment at the teaching of Jesus". There is a shift from popularity to rejection.
As I read this section the statement of John keeps popping into my mind: "though He had done so many miracles, yet they did not believe in Him". The rejection was not due to lack of evidence but to hardness of hearts. So it is today. Our duty is to keep proclaiming the story of Jesus. It is this very story that has the power to change the hearts and minds of people. We can expect that many will reject it for broad is the way that leads away from God.
Hugh DeLong
